


The Argument

by LadyAnneNeville



Series: Tony learns how to Parent Peter [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Angst, Arguments, Danger, Gen, Hostage Situation, Hurt Peter Parker, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Protective Tony Stark, mid terms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-05-05
Packaged: 2019-05-02 17:39:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14549892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyAnneNeville/pseuds/LadyAnneNeville
Summary: After Peter picks a fight with Tony whilst dealing with the pressures of both school and his internship, Tony tries to work out how to parent correctly, and how much more complicated it can be when your Spider son had a knack of getting into dangerous situations. May is amazing. This is a stand alone story and you do not need to have read the rest of the series for it to make sense.





	The Argument

**Author's Note:**

> So I am continuing this, but only one bit at a time, it will essentially be several self contained stories that all happen in the same universe, I’m hoping for them to be sufficiently stand alone that they can each be read without having to go back and read everything leading up to it. As always please comment and let me know what you think.

Sometimes, Tony found it easy to forget quite how young Peter was. Moments that occurred in the lab usually, when they were working together and bouncing ideas off of each other, and moving science ahead by years as they designed new prototypes. But sometimes it was the way he automatically cleared up after dinner, without being asked, or the time when they discussed the accords and accountability and lots of big grown up topics without once having to slow down and explain the complex terminology and geo-politics involved because Peter, a child raised in the global world of the 21st century understood more than Steve, who for all his hard work still struggled to fully comprehend the differences between international politics from his time and international politics seventy years on.

But then there were days like these, when Peter had arrived in the lab quiet and moody and unfocused. Eventually, after realising their collaboration was completely lacking Peter’s usual spark of inspiration, Tony had dismissed the quiet, irritated boy to the sofa to get on with his homework.

“I don’t have any homework.” Peter had shot back. “And don’t you usually say doing this I’m learning more useful things in the long term anyway.”

“Usually yes, but today you’re acting like something bit you in the behind, and what do you mean you don’t have any homework? You go to school, you always have homework.”

“We’re halfway through midterms, they don’t end until next Friday, so all I have is revision.” Peter moaned.

“Well then don’t be cute about it and go revise. You know that’s what I meant, schoolwork.” Tony was finding his patience with the boy wearing thin.

“If you don’t want me here then just tell me!” Peter suddenly snapped.

“Excuse me? If I didn’t want you here, you wouldn’t be here, but you’ve been irritable and unfocussed all night and I thought you needed a break.” 

“Am I not allowed to have a bad day?” Peter was almost shouting now.

“I’m not doing this with you, Peter. For some reason you are just looking for a fight. Go home and don’t come back until mid-terms are over. I don’t want to see you being Spider-Man until exams are finished either, and you know that I will know. You’re clearly stressed enough without adding to it with your usual extra-curricular activities. Pack your stuff and go upstairs, I’ll have Happy drive you back.”

Later that night he got a phone call from May.

“So Peter’s pretty pissed off at you.” Was the opening statement.  
“Yes, he wasn’t focused in the lab today, which isn’t a safe place to lose focus, and then when I suggested he do some schoolwork instead he tried to pick a fight. I told him not to come back until after his exams were finished and no Spider-Man until then either.” Tony explained, he honestly thought he was getting better at this parenting thing, even with how confusing teenagers could be. May was quiet for a moment.

“Good, he’s been really stressed out over his exams. Because he had some absents earlier in the term they’re really important to bring up his average. I suggested no Spider-Man during mid-terms but he shot me down, he really doesn’t want to disappoint you. He had four exams today, and he has another four tomorrow.”

“Jesus, I’m glad I skipped most of high school. No wonder he was so testy.” Peter’s behaviour suddenly started to make sense.

“I’m going to back you up Tony, but I suggest you speak to Peter in a day or so. Otherwise he might feel like he’s disappointed you or let you down, and that’s the kind of thing he’ll dwell on. I suggest Saturday afternoon, when stress from mid-terms will probably be as low as it’s likely to get before they finish.”

“Ok, will do. Honestly I don’t know how you do this sometimes May. Kids are just so unpredictable.” Tony said, feeling the beginnings of a stress headache forming behind his temples.

“Tony, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you’ve been parenting him almost as much as I have these past few months, even without the formality of the paperwork. I might be doing this, but you are too. And parenting isn’t something you can learn from a book, everyone gets it wrong sometimes. I can’t tell you how wrong I thought I’d got it when I found out Peter had been sneaking around as Spider-Man for months behind my back and I hadn’t put the pieces together. I was so scared he was on drugs or getting involved in a gang or something, and it’s Peter I don’t need to explain to you how mad that thought was.” May responded.

“Thank you, May. Sometimes even Tony Stark needs a pep talk.”

“You’re welcome and stop talking about yourself in the third person, it isn’t healthy.”

“Ok, bye. Speak to you soon.”

“And you. Bye.”

With that the conversation was over. Tony blinked slightly, it was one of the more useful conversations he had had for a while. And it was probably useful to let Peter cool off for a bit before contacting him again, after all, the last thing he wanted was to get into an argument with a teenager. Teenagers always think they’re right, especially teenage superheroes. Less than twenty four hours passed before Tony would regret that decision.

The next day, Tony was sat in a very tedious meeting with his wonderful fiancée and CEO, Pepper Potts, and the somewhat less wonderful acquaintance and secretary of defence. While easier to deal with than Ross, Johnson was doing exactly what all his predecessors for the previous ten years had done, and was trying to persuade Stark Industries to start once again manufacturing weapons for the armed forces of the USA.

“Secretary Johnson, as Dr Stark has stated multiple times, Stark Industries has not manufactured weapons for nearly a decade and we will not change this policy now. The only military products we develop are either to help veterans or are for purely defensive use. Dr Stark has developed a large range of fully functioning prosthesis for those who have lost limbs, and leg braces so that paralysed soldiers can walk again. These products will be going public, but we have offered the military a truly remarkable discount so that they can be available to veterans regardless of socio-economic background. The European Union is already rolling out these products to their veterans of the war in the middle east to great affect. What is more, Stark industries has also developed body armour to the same quality and flexibility as that worn by Steve Rogers, back when he was an avenger. The British, French and German armed forces among other EU countries are also purchasing large orders of these, which are also available.

“Dr Stark has been astonishingly generous with his time, Secretary Johnson, in developing these products, which for the most part are not available on the mass market, and do not support either our climate change initiatives, or our most profitable and commercial developments in computing. However what the US government needs to understand is that Stark Industries is an International company now, no longer just a US company and we cannot be seen to favour any one government over another. There will be no more weapons.” 

Tony could have watched Pepper Potts stand her ground and protect Stark Industries all day. The unhappy politician had lost brownie points with both of them when he treated Pepper like a secretary rather than a CEO and had attempted to deal with Tony directly. He now seemed to be finally getting the message that there were no weapons available and Stark Industries hadn’t been bidding for the government contracts for a reason, at last he was getting towards a point of talking numbers.

Out of nowhere, Tony’s phone rang. Despite the eccentric genius image he portrayed, Tony did have enough sense to keep his phone from going off in important meetings, and as it was only a select few emergencies would have actually caused his phone to go off. Pepper was fully aware of this, and since she had taken over the company and Tony had reduced his responsibilities with Stark Industries, he had become a lot better at honouring them. So it was with Pepper’s blessing that Tony ducked out of the important and politically sensitive business meeting to take the call.

“FRIDAY?” He asked, quietly, as he slipped into the deserted conference room next door to the one they were using.

“There appears to be a school shooting in progress at Midtown School of Science and Techology, Boss” FRIDAY’s lilting irish voice informed him. Tony froze for a moment in pure fear for Peter’s life. He may be Spider-Man, he may have enhanced healing, but a bullet from a high speed assault rifle could kill him just as easily.

“Have the suit waiting for me on the roof, inform local law enforcement, I’m on my way and if anything comes through from Peter or Karen I want it patched through immediately. And if May Parker calls, let her know I am on route and I will do anything to make sure Peter stays safe, but don’t patch her through, I can’t deal with her worry right now.”

“Got it, Boss.” FRIDAY responded.

On the journey there FRIDAY informed him that most of the students had been successfully evacuated, but in the sports hall where the sophomore year were taking their English Midterm the shooter seemed to have killed several students already and was holding the rest hostage. ‘Of course it would be Peter’s year, of course Peter would be in the direct line of danger, and if he was in an exam he wouldn’t have access to his phone or his suit, damn it.’ Tony thought.

To his immense frustration, on arriving at the school, he was able to get through to form part of the police perimeter that had formed around the gym, but after that all he could do was wait.

There were no shots being fired, not currently, but he knew from the police around him that there were several injured or dead students already. There were no phones in the exam hall but one of the students seemed to be trying to talk the shooter, also a student, also a sophomore, down. Tony was sure that would be Peter, trying to keep the attention focused on himself so that no one else got hurt.

After what felt like an age, but was in reality only around ten minutes, something happened. There was a shot sounded, followed by screams, then a short burst of fire in quick succession, after which students started running from the gym. Recognising Peter’s friend Ned he grabbed the boy.

“What happened?” He asked.

“Peter’s trying to grab the gun off Cedric, he told everyone else to run. He was trying to talk him down, but then Cedric snapped and shot Emily, and Peter just rushed him.” Tony let go of Ned and used his repulsors to blast into the gym, now mostly empty of students who were still able to run. He could see Peter struggling to contain a larger boy, he could see Peter who hated guns with a passion, trying to control the assault rifle so it couldn’t hurt anyone else.

In the split second before he landed he saw the shock on Peter’s face as the gun went off in another small spurt and three bullets tore through his torso. He went down immediately. Tony shot a taser at the child with the gun and he went down immediately. Cedric may be a child, but he was also a mass murderer and Tony would ensure he spent the rest of his life in jail, especially if his boy failed to survive.

Tony landed next to Peter, gasping the kid’s name. Peter’s eyes were open and glassy, unseeing, but small gasps still escaped him even as his skin paled to alabaster and contrasted sharply with the blood that bubbled from his mouth. Peter didn’t seem to be able to hear him, or even see him as Tony applied six swift field dressings to the entry and exit wounds and flew off at high speed with his child in his arms.

The surgical team were the best, Tony knew they were, he had hand picked them himself. They were also fully up to date on Peter’s enhanced healing and altered DNA, thanks to a series of tests conducted following the vulture incident. Tony had never dreamed they would be needed due to something that had happened at the kid’s school rather than a patrol gone wrong.

Once again, as he sat in a comfortable, well appointed waiting room, with a tense and terrified May Parker, all he could do was wait. Tony Stark was not accustomed to being helpless, he did not take to it well. He knew that any other teenager would have been dead within minutes with Peter’s injuries, he knew that he should communicate with the police following the incident, but all he could do was sit there and hope that his boy survived this.

Tony’s luck wasn’t the best, in fact to balance out the privilege he was born into the universe seemed to have thrown some of the worst it had to offer at him, but he was desperate that the universe wouldn’t be so cruel as to let his last conversation with his son be an argument. Not when he had lived with the guilt of arguing with his parents just hours before they were killed for the last thirty years. History surely couldn’t repeat itself. It couldn’t happen again.

It couldn’t.

It just couldn’t.

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

Early the next morning, the surgeon came out to speak to Tony and May. 

“The damage was extensive, but thanks to his enhancements he might pull through. He’s currently stable, and given time should improve so we’re cautiously optimistic. His system has suffered a lot of stress with the surgery and the injuries and there is always the risk of further complications.”

May, the strong, rock of a woman who always seemed to know what to do when it came to Peter, burst into tears; hours of holding it together fell like an avalanche into loud, ugly sobs. Tony, alarmed, and not the most touchy feely of people, awkwardly took her elbow and guided her into a chair.

“Thank you doctor, when can we see him?” He asked.

“The nurse are just settling him into a room now, someone will be through in a couple of minutes to let you know he’s ready. I advise not staying too long though. We had to use so much anesthesia for such a long time to keep him under that we’re cautious of using more than the bare minimum to keep his pain manageable going forward. He needs rest, but he could easily wake up if there’s a lot of commotion in the room.”

Tony nodded and the doctor disappeared. He looked at the sobbing woman and wished he could do something to support her the way she supported him when he was struggling with Peter. But most of all he was thankful that Peter would be okay, and he promised himself to never let Peter leave without clearing the air after a fight again. The lives they lived were far too dangerous to risk it, even when the danger wasn’t at school too.


End file.
